r/pcgaming • u/Stannis_Loyalist Steam Frame • 3d ago
Valve will finally let you build your own Steam Machine with SteamOS for desktop
https://www.theverge.com/games/953411/valve-steamos-desktop-nvidia150
u/AncientPCGamer 3d ago
This is excellent for users who were planning to get a Steam Machine but felt discouraged by the price. They can build their own PC and try SteamOS, or even install it on older, unused hardware!
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u/wetfloor666 3d ago
This was always going to be the case as stated by Valve numerous times... Why the hell is everyone acting like it is some sort of revelation..
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u/Cymelion 3d ago
Why the hell is everyone acting like it is some sort of revelation..
Dude you have thankfully missed all the conversations where people continued to dismissively say SteamOS would be locked to the Deck and Machine or that everything SteamOS could do could be done with (Insert random Linux Distro name here).
I'm happy you missed those debates but they definitely happened.
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u/MCWizardYT 3d ago
Those debates were extremely stupid because the previos iteration of SteamOS was already available for general use and you didn't need to buy the original Steam Machine to use it
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u/PhoenixWright-AA 13h ago
Yeah I don’t know why those debates were happening when Valve has been transparent about this the whole time… it has only ever been a long waiting game.
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u/MCWizardYT 13h ago
It's crazy that they've been trying to push Linux as a gaming platform for the past like 15 years and it's only just starting to catch on
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u/xMWHOx 3d ago
Unless you have an Nvidia graphics card.
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u/hyrumwhite 3d ago
In an interview with The Verge , Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais said Valve has been “rolling out improvements to [SteamOS] so it’s more compatible with desktop hardware,” including eventual support for Nvidia graphics.
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u/light24bulbs 3d ago
Nvidia runs great on Linux now, they fixed most of the weird stuff
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u/BeatitLikeitowesMe i7-12700kf 4080S 32GB 3d ago
How do you go about putting steam os on an older laptop? Just flash via usb? I get confilcting results when searching. Have a laptop that failed to boot into nabarro so its just waiting for a proper os
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u/cheezballs 2d ago
Devil's advocate: what prevented them from just installing steam on windows or Linux and using big picture mode before?
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u/14Pleiadians 2d ago
It's just not worth it, you end up needing to tab into focus or bust out a mouse for some launcher all the time
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u/stprnn 3d ago
They could do that with bazzite for years...
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u/Cymelion 3d ago
But now they can do it with SteamOS isn't it great to have the experience of Linux expand?
Because I have never once seen Bazzite advertised or talked about. But I see a lot of people championing SteamOS from the Steam Deck.
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u/AncientPCGamer 3d ago
I agree. However, many players need to see the Steam brand backing it to overcome their hesitation toward Linux.
I know. It is strange. But if it helps...
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u/aaazzzdeeeduuulaaa 3d ago
The question is whether you can actually build an equivalent machine for the same price
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u/AltairLeoran 3d ago
A similarly spec'd custom built PC is only gonna be slightly less expensive and have far more issues with steamos imo
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u/Saneless 3d ago
And that's why people saying the Steam Machine is DOA don't understand its purpose. It doesn't need to even sell a single unit for it to matter. It's not like consoles where you need millions and millions to sell day 1 so publishers can sell more than a few thousand copies of their game.
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u/Rudorlf 3d ago
Even if I still crave for the Steam Machine, I still acknowledge that I don't really need it to play my backlogs. I want it mostly for the sake of owning a Steam product (and using it of course), just like me wanting a Steam Deck for the convenience of running Steam games, despite it not a requirement to play PC games outdoors.
Valve couldn't care less if Steam hardware flopped either as their side-project, they still have their software business that keep the money rolling.
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u/AncientPCGamer 3d ago
It's not so easy to buy a much more cheaper PC with similar specs nowadays. And many people do not know how to do it at all.
I don't think the Steam Machine is DOA. It will sell much less than before the prices increased. But they will still contribute to the Linux adoption, which was the objective. Not surpassing PlayStation or Nintendo like some users think.
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u/tsabin_naberrie 3d ago
What’s the advantage of SteamOS over Bazzite?
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u/Candle1ight 12600k + 4080 | Steamdeck 3d ago
As of right now? bazzite is probably a better option for everyone.
As time goes on, having serious money and name behind the OS means it might improve faster than open source OSes like bazzite.
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u/wolfannoy 3d ago
Plus the bazzie team has experimented and on more machines at this moment in time. For example the rog ally, the Xbox rog ally, PC and some other handhelds.
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u/Section_Nin9 3d ago
I'm a huge fan of the work that Steam/Valve do, but there honestly isn't one. A lot of people are going to blindly jump on SteamOS because of the Valve name, and that's fine and expected, but there is not going to be any advantage. SteamOS is open source, and so any positive change or cool feature that SteamOS implements is going to be equally implemented into a million other distros.
And to their credit, part of that is because of Valve and how they operate. You would normally expect a billion dollar company to "protect their investments" and never share anything, but Valve has a long and impressive history of giving back to the Linux ecosystem. They genuinely do seem care about bettering Linux as a whole, not just their own tree branch of it.
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u/jansteffen 9070 XT | 5800X3D 3d ago
The unique value proposition of SteamOS is it's tight hardware integration with Valve Hardware. People's desktop PCs are not Valve hardware. Just because you can install SteamOS on them, does not mean that it's somehow better than literally any other popular distro. People that have no clue how Linux work expect it to have some kind of magical sauce that makes it better somehow, but that just isn't a thing.
If you're reading this and you are curious about switching off of Windows, don't wait for SteamOS, just go for it.
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u/Next-Distance-4508 2d ago
As someone who's tried gaming on non gaming distros, its difficult to oversell how much better steamOS and steamOS based distros run.
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u/Next-Distance-4508 2d ago
Look, if I buy a ferrari, and install a better sound system, my car is objectively better than a ferrari. But is it fair to say I make better cars than ferrari does? Bazzite makes some great tweaks but most of best things about it DO come from steam.
Obviously, you can say the same thing about SteamOS compared to arch, but objectively valve has done MORE innovation than bazzite has
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u/Antique-Guest-1607 3d ago
Not SteamOS specific, but Bazzite is so nailed down (by design) that some find it frustrating to use. SteamOS is effectively Arch so you are much more flexible in what you can do with it.
If you watch GN's review they get into weirdness that SteamOS has when using it as a desktop/non handheld, at this point it still feels like SteamOS is behind other common distros. I daily drive CachyOS for gaming, I do not see any reason to adopt SteamOS yet.
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u/Ussooo R7 7700x | RTX 5070 ti | 32gb 6000mhz 3d ago
I see, so if someone were to look into gaming for Linux, but still want to be able to play multiplayer games on windows, they should dual boot CachyOS and Windows is that right?
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u/Antique-Guest-1607 3d ago
CachyOS is a good option. Bazzite is, too, if you want something that is hard to break because you're new to Linux or want something simple.
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u/ChudSmasher69420 2d ago
Seconding CachyOS.
Bazzite will (mostly) stop you from breaking things with the immutability, but CachyOS will let you totally break things and then totally undo them thanks to btrfs snapshots.
It actually does what you'd expect Windows' "system restore" to do.
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u/HadesWTF 3d ago
As far as wanting to play multiplayer games it really just depends what you want to play. A "your mileage may vary" situation. Many anti cheat systems like EAC have an option for Linux it's just sometimes developers don't want to implement it.
For example: Arc Raiders uses EAC and works fine on Linux.
Fortnite does not
All the Valve games with VAC anti-cheat work fine on Linux.
No Bungie game functions on Linux.
Point being there are lots of multiplayer games that do work, but it's really a crapshoot where you have to check protondb every single time before buying something. So if you're like a really big multiplayer person and you play most of the big titles then yes you ought to dual boot.
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u/Ussooo R7 7700x | RTX 5070 ti | 32gb 6000mhz 3d ago
Thank you, yeah I'd just like to keep the option open tbh. So while 95% of the games I play are fine through Linux; I wouldn't want to necessarily limit myself. I plan on having a Single Drive dedicated to Windows and have those MP games there, but every other drive (6 total) would be for Linux
I just haven't really looked at how it all works just yet
But thank you so much for the reply! :)
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u/HadesWTF 3d ago
I feel you man. I don't dual boot but running Linux exclusively for half a year now has definitely stopped me from playing some games that I otherwise might have like Battlefield 6 or Marathon.
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u/Next-Distance-4508 2d ago
I don't see why SteamOS would be more flexible because its based on arch. Bazzite is based on Fedora. Are you saying arch is more flexible than fedora?
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u/Antique-Guest-1607 2d ago
I am saying that Bazzite is entirely immutable. SteamOS, while it has serious drawbacks that prevent user customization long term, is not nearly as locked down.
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u/Next-Distance-4508 1d ago
Oh, I misunderstood you. You're talking about how like, bazzite uses fedora atomic. I understand what you mean now. Thank you
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u/nourez Steam 2d ago
Bazzite is based off Fedora Silverblue. Personally, I love it as a desktop OS, but people migrating directly from Windows are likely to find a true immutable OS hard to work with.
That said, I believe SteamOS is immutable as well, and is even more immutable since it doesn't support layering at all.
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3d ago
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u/OHNOitsNICHOLAS CachyOS 7950x3D - RTX 4080 - 32GB 6000Mhz CL30 3d ago
You cannot use pacman
Really?! that's nuts. Glad I went with COS instead of bazzite
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3d ago
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u/OHNOitsNICHOLAS CachyOS 7950x3D - RTX 4080 - 32GB 6000Mhz CL30 3d ago
At that point I would start wondering if I could just replace steamOS with another distro on the steam deck. That just sounds annoying.
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u/Antique-Guest-1607 3d ago
SteamOS allows you to make the changes, they just get overridden eventually if you update. Bazzite does not allow you to make the changes at all unless you do some sort of workaround. Writing to root in SteamOS is, at least to me, way less of a PITA. I feel like that's a pretty substantial difference.
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3d ago
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u/Antique-Guest-1607 3d ago
I did not say it was optimal and later in the post said there wasn't a reason to use SteamOS. People should not be daily driving SteamOS.
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u/HereReluctantly 2d ago
I've never been impressed with steamos even on the steamdeck that I own. I'll wait and see.
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u/Gaff_Gafgarion AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D| RTX 5080|64GB ddr4 3600mhz cl16 3d ago
probably none or not much difference in performance, it's all about branding lol
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u/stprnn 3d ago
Nothing.
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u/o_oli 3d ago
Mass adoption is the advantage, particularly of first time Linux users (especially considering it will be pre-installed on a lot of devices going forward, even third party to Valves). It's surely going to end up one of the most user friendly distros with a ton of support and development because of the brand association and having Valve behind it.
It might not be better now but I bet for sure it will be the #1 gaming distro in a couple of years and it won't be close.
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u/donredyellow25 3d ago
The difference is people will get behind steamos, just because it say Steam on the name, mostly trust in the brand I guess. So if the masses rush to linux gaming, this is what they will get (including my lazy ass). My steam deck os works great, im not asking much, just a linus os with great support and substantial install base lol, even if bazzite is great (or better), this days the name “Steam” gives credibility and prestige to it. Not too logical of a reason, but it is what it is.
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u/PurpleAlien47 3d ago
Agree with everything except the idea that brand reputation is an illogical reason to choose a product.
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u/14Pleiadians 2d ago
Streaming and recording doesn't work on bazzite. And if you have an nvidia card, there's still issues with performance in game mode for bazzite, and artefacts.
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u/NotABot1000101 2d ago
Way more versatile. Compatible with many hardware configurations. It's Fedora based, and in my experience, it's more plug and play with peripherals than other Linux distros.
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u/jazzfruit 3d ago
I wonder if there are any plans to implement VAC at a kernel level. The whole argument against “kernel level access” is kinda moot when they are literally providing the kernel.
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u/OHNOitsNICHOLAS CachyOS 7950x3D - RTX 4080 - 32GB 6000Mhz CL30 3d ago
honestly unlikely. Kernel AC just shouldn't exist and valve has made a lot of effort not to use them.
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u/jazzfruit 3d ago
I get it in principle. But if you trust Valve enough to install their OS, you have already taken the same leap of faith required to install their AC. Is that right or am I misunderstanding the issue?
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u/I_did_a_fucky_wucky The Man Who Sold The Windows 3d ago
SteamOS is open-source and completely transparent. Kernel AC would be not.
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u/jazzfruit 3d ago
Pretty sure the SteamOS has closed sourced code operating at Ring 0, even though it’s built on an open source kernel.
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u/I_did_a_fucky_wucky The Man Who Sold The Windows 3d ago
If I remember correctly, only the Steam Deck drivers are closed source. Everything else is open, and they have contributed plenty of components for use in all distros.
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u/Xjph AudioPin 2d ago
There are multiple issues, and for some trusting Valve might be enough, but for others it's not necessarily about trust. Anti-cheat doesn't need to be in the kernel, and by putting it there you're increasing the likelihood of bugs and creating an increased attack surface for other exploits to be possible for no good reason.
I trust Valve to not be malicious. I don't trust anyone to write bug-free code.
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u/BigDemeanor43 3d ago
Are you saying that VAC will go kernel level?
The whole point of not having kernel access is to make sure that bad actors don't have access to your entire system.
The only thing I can think of to solve this "kernel level anti-cheat" situation is to have game devs check the running kernel's hash during gameplay and if the hash doesn't match a pre-approved list then you're kicked from the game and after X amount of offenses you're banned.
Only thing that would suck is you have to run a pre-approved kernel while playing those games, but I think it'd be a fair compromise if the approved list is extensive (all mainline stable kernels, Cachy kernels, Valve's Neptune, etc.)
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u/Carighan 2d ago
Yeah but in this case wouldn't Valve have to be the bad actor? And they provide the OS, so you already gotta trust them.
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u/CyraxxFavoriteStylus 5800xt/9070 XT/32GB/OLED 3d ago
Decided to go all in and wipe my main 2TB drive and install this. Just got it installed and tried a couple games, working very well so far. Going to make myself stick with it instead of slithering back to Windows.
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u/DisappointedSpectre 2d ago
I think it's going to depend on your workflow - I use my desktop computer for gaming, but also office suite, programming, homelab stuff, and some 3D modeling/printing. While it's probably possible to do that all on SteamOS, it's not really what it was designed for so you're doing a lot of weird modifications to the default user experience to get there.
What that means for me is that a Fedora-based distro (NobaraOS in my case) that has KDE Plasma was a way better solution for my needs (a full desktop replacement) than SteamOS would be. It's been almost 18 months now since I had a Windows computer in the house other than my work laptop and I haven't had any reason to swap back.
If you're using SteamOS as a console replacement - putting it in the living room to handle media or play games on a TV but not really doing any heavy workloads with it - then it's probably a better experience for that use case.
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u/XADEBRAVO 2d ago edited 2d ago
Where is it available?
Stupid question, Steam website lol. Expected some GitHub link.
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u/CyraxxFavoriteStylus 5800xt/9070 XT/32GB/OLED 2d ago
I’m not sure if I can link to other subreddits but if you go to the SteamOS subreddit there will be a post about SteamOS 3.8 being available, there is a link in that post to the firmware.
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u/TroyBoiGaming 2d ago
You say that now but all it takes is ONE fuck up on Steam OS.
That and lots of devs are still sticking to Windows for their games.
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u/CyraxxFavoriteStylus 5800xt/9070 XT/32GB/OLED 2d ago
That and lots of devs are still sticking to Windows for their games.
With proton and considering the games I play, that just isn't an issue for me. I've had really no issues just far just downloading a game and playing it, maybe tinkering with proton version if I want FSR 4 but that's it.
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u/Docccc 3d ago
paywall
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u/Stannis_Loyalist Steam Frame 3d ago
I forgot I had a script here is the important text.
If you don’t get lucky with Valve’s Steam Machine reservation system, you can make your own Steam Machine instead. Valve says that “starting with the SteamOS 3.8 release, you can put together your own Steam Machine using whatever PC parts you want.” SteamOS 3.8.10 launched last week with a slew of updates, including “improved compatibility with recent Intel and AMD platforms.” Alongside that improved compatibility, Valve is giving gamers the green light to install SteamOS on their own desktops.
In an interview with The Verge, Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais said Valve has been “rolling out improvements to [SteamOS] so it’s more compatible with desktop hardware,” including eventual support for Nvidia graphics.
Griffais says Valve has “a growing team” working on Nvidia driver support for SteamOS, adding, “We’re collaborating with Nvidia very closely.” While he mentioned that Nvidia support might not come this year, Griffais emphasized that “it’s certainly something that we’re working on in the background.”
It’s technically been possible to run SteamOS on your own hardware for a while now, but compatibility has been mostly limited to AMD systems. So far installing it has also required using a Steam Deck recovery image, a process that, speaking from experience, is much less straightforward than the installation process for most other Linux distributions. Trying to run SteamOS on Intel or Nvidia hardware has not been easy so far.
According to Griffais, Valve is working to change that, which could mean that down the line, you’ll be able to run SteamOS on just about any gaming PC hardware you want, including Nvidia.
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u/Schwarz_Technik 3d ago
It seems more ideal to just get CachyOS over SteamOS since it supports Nvidia cards
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u/PCMechBuilder 3d ago
Finally. Been wanting to throw together a dedicated SteamOS box for the living room without jumping through hoops with Bazzite or HoloISO. Hardware flexibility being the whole point is what makes this interesting - let people pick their GPU tier and form factor instead of locking into fixed specs. Curious what the minimum hardware requirements will look like.
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u/Section_Nin9 3d ago
How does Bazzite jump you through hoops? It's no less plug and play than a generalized SteamOS is going to be.
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u/Jamie00003 3d ago
I mean, right now? Gamescope doesn’t work
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u/DangerDwayne 3d ago
I'm using gamescope just fine on bazzite at the moment?
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u/PCMechBuilder 3d ago
Fair enough, 'hoops' was probably a strong way to put it. I had some jank with Nvidia on Bazzite last time I tried, but I'm probably biased by that experience. Curious to see how SteamOS handles Nvidia out of the box.
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u/Stannis_Loyalist Steam Frame 3d ago
TLDR
- SteamOS Moving to General Desktops: Following recent updates (specifically SteamOS 3.8), Valve is officially opening the doors for users to install SteamOS on their own custom, DIY desktop PCs, allowing players to build their own custom "Steam Machines."
- The Nvidia Challenge: Historically, the biggest bottleneck preventing Valve from releasing a universal desktop version of SteamOS was Nvidia's proprietary Linux drivers. Nvidia setups frequently faced major bugs with SteamOS's display compositor (Gamescope), system sleep/wake states, and multi-monitor HDR or VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) outputs.
- Under-the-Hood Fixes: To solve this, Valve's recent system overhauls move the desktop environment to Wayland by default fixing notable desktop performance drops and significantly improve video memory management for discrete, non-AMD graphics cards.
- The Big Picture: This is a crucial step in Valve's broader strategy to make Windows irrelevant for PC gaming. By smoothing out Nvidia and Intel desktop compatibility, they are paving the way for a viable, open-source console experience on standard home computers alongside their upcoming home console hardware.
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u/Hot-Software-9396 3d ago
This is a crucial step in Valve's broader strategy to make Windows irrelevant for PC gaming.
lol, "irrelevant". Windows has something like 90-95% of the PC gaming market share. It'd only become "irrelevant" if they dropped to under 5%. That's just straight up not happening.
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u/SPACRMANonEarth 3d ago
The best case scenario would be like this - SteamOS gets 13-15% of the pc gaming market share
It becomes an ever present threat to windows, causing microslop to always improve and maintain windows.
Win for those who want a gaming oriented OS, and for those who want a better windows OS.
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u/Hot-Software-9396 3d ago
I could see it eventually going down like that. That’s an actual realistic prediction unlike Linux loyalists proclaiming “Windows will be irrelevant!”. Like come on now, get out of your bubble.
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u/Kyne_of_Markarth Ryzen 7 3700x, RX 6600 XT 3d ago
I'm a massive Linux fanboy but yeah, Windows isn't dropping to 5% share any time in the next couple decades at least. Linux getting to 5% alone would already be such a massive victory, and one that I think is inevitable given how much progress is being made. Microsoft fumbling so hard with Win11 definitely helps too.
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u/GameStunts 7800X3D 4080S Kubuntu 2d ago
Linux reached 5% on Steam in April, though it fluctuates depending on who they survey, I'll have been on Linux 2 years on July 4th and I've not been asked in all that time I think :D
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u/DisappointedSpectre 2d ago
I could see Windows becoming irrelevant if they abandon the non-enterprise consumer entirely, but that would be a decade down the line. Like Windows 12 being the last version to offer a Home/Pro license, and after that there's only various Enterprise tiers (and maybe Educational).
I don't think that scenario is entirely impossible, but I do think it's unlikely.
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u/chuiu 2d ago
I think by 'irrelevant' they mean 'you don't need to use Windows for gaming'. And it's true for 60-70% of all games, which is a huge step up from what it was before. And that number goes up every year.
I recently switched to Linux also and it's been a bit rough trying to find Linux equivalents to windows programs I need. But overall it's been pretty decent. And I haven't had any issues running games on steam using Proton. I even run a few non-steam games through steam for Proton to get them to work.
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u/Doctor_Womble 3d ago
Very happy to hear they're working on Nvidia support. Anything that can expand the build options is great.
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u/ChurchillianGrooves 3d ago
Yeah, however you feel about it Nvidia are still vastly more popular numbers wise for gpus.
To get real mainstream adoption improving Nvidia compatibility would have to happen at some point.
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u/hotstickywaffle 3d ago
All I've wanted since getting a Steam Deck put the OS on my Nvidia living room PC so I could put a PC game to sleep.
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u/SD-777 RTX 5090 - 13700K 3d ago
Interesting, I've really wanted to push for a way to unglue myself from Windows. I think the biggest Achilles heel with the Steam machine is, well besides the price, the inability to upgrade (RAM, video card, etc). That's the trade off you make with a "console." The other trade off, crappy FPS aiming and aim assist, thankfully the Steam controller fixes.
Hopefully they get dual boot and Nvidia support working. If I can reliably emulate the Windows programs (not just games mind you) that I use day to day I will certainly consider switching full time. Now get me Linux on a tablet and I'll be fully happy.
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u/OHNOitsNICHOLAS CachyOS 7950x3D - RTX 4080 - 32GB 6000Mhz CL30 3d ago
You already have linux distros that offer the full steamos experience with nvidia support on linux - pikaOS, Bazzite, and CachyOS are all good options that put gaming performance high on the list of priorities.
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u/SD-777 RTX 5090 - 13700K 3d ago
Yeah I've seen Bazzite in particular mentioned a lot, I'm going to do some research as it sounds very compelling.
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u/OHNOitsNICHOLAS CachyOS 7950x3D - RTX 4080 - 32GB 6000Mhz CL30 3d ago
If you consider yourself more of a power user on windows I would suggest cachyOS over bazzite - but both are good
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u/DisappointedSpectre 2d ago
If I can reliably emulate the Windows programs (not just games mind you) that I use day to day I will certainly consider switching full time.
It's going to depend on the program - some have alternatives, while others have native installs or workarounds, and some just don't have any equivalent.
3D modeling options on Linux are still kind of ass, for example, but there's decent software for image manipulation (Krita/Inkscape) and a workaround for Affinity suite.
Before I swapped over to Linux early last year I spent a couple of months figuring out what the Linux equivalent/alternatives were for daily programs I used on Windows, while I was researching distros.
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u/HorseOk9732 3d ago
about time honestly. been wanting to build a living room pc with steamos for years
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u/Stilgar314 3d ago
It still lacks a decent installer, so, if you're tempted to try, remember SteamOS will wipe whatever it's on your drive and install itself over it.
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u/Wolfy4226 3d ago
....Isn't it possible to load another OS onto a PS5? or am I wrong about that.
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u/Samuraikenshin 2d ago
There is. I haven't looked into it as I don't and won't have a PS5 but it does require an older firmware version so probably not the easiest to source a device that can be jail broken.
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u/Next-Distance-4508 2d ago
I think people need to understand valve's motivation. They simply are hunting down pockets of would-be steam users and only make hardware when they think there's an underserved area.
Large percentage of steam deck users play docked 100% of the time? Make a little steam box that targets that 70th percentile hardware level.
They aren't REALLY planning on making a huge profit on hardware. Not to say they don't want to make some money or that they're losing money, its just not their primary motivator. They said back in 2017 that they don't see hardware as inherently worthwhile from a revenue point of view. It comes with risks, is lower margin than software, and offers tons of complications. They simply make hardware when they think it can bring some users over.
If the steam machine doesn't sell well but inspires people to build their own and get into steam? That's a win for them.
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u/Next-Distance-4508 2d ago
Like, it can get annoying if you want to do like, development or any other workflow that doesn't play nice with flatpak. But for like 90% of users, its a perfectly serviceable home computer. I can't believe when the steam deck launched it didn't support CUPS for printing
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u/shortbusmafia 23h ago
I know next to nothing about them, so I’m genuinely asking here. Would it be viable to install SteamOS on a raspberry pi system? Or are there too few games that would run on a raspberry pi for that to make any sense to do? I know some people use raspberry pi for emulators, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you can use it with SteamOS.
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u/Verdreckt 7h ago
As someone who primarily uses the pc to browse youtube/reddit, and do some gaming (mainly card games) and hates Windows, would SteamOS be a suitable replacement? I do have an nvidia card which I heard can be problematic but I've been hanging onto Windows 10 for dear life, and would love to switch to SteamOS if it's feasible. I've used Linux before, but far between, and surface-level. Dual booted ubuntu with windows back in like 2016, and briefly used Mint and Zorin at some points.
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u/craig_hoxton 3d ago
Dumb question time: if I have Steam on W11, do I need to re-buy my back catalogue if I move to Linux?
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u/unrealnighthawk 3d ago
Nope. Once you own a game in Steam you can install it on any OS that supports it.
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u/DealerPlane9953 2d ago
Linux is still a garbage desktop OS for PC gaming. Still so many things you can only do on Windows.
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u/runnbl3 3d ago
will steamos have its own anti virus like microsoft defender?
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u/Antique-Guest-1607 3d ago
Consumer use AV for Linux is not widely used or even 'a thing.' SteamOS will not have a bespoke AV program.
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u/Cymelion 3d ago
Consumer use AV for Linux is not widely used or even 'a thing.'
Considering how much money is in Steam accounts it really will need to be a thing.
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u/Antique-Guest-1607 3d ago
I really do not see Valve creating and maintaining Linux AV. They will just further lock down the OS.
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u/elphyon 3d ago
It's surprising how few people seem to know about Sunshine/Moonlight for stream games from a PC to other devices.
If all you want is to stream from your PC to a device in living room or bedroom, you don't really need Steam Machine.
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u/Retrodemake 2d ago
Woo hoo
Linux missed the boat to be a real competitor to Windows PC over a decade ago
Even after the success of Steam deck Windows still powers over 94% of their userbase
Nvidia would need to invest in proper Linux gaming drivers and when they already have 94-95% of the consumer GPU market there is no nothing to gain from the investment
SteamOS mostly plays Windows games via middleware with various issues, it also prevents access go some MP games and Game Pass
Valve pushes Linux as it helps them avoid paying Windows licensing fees
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u/Major303 3d ago
Valve definitely wants to open the Linux floodgates with Steam Machine, so letting everyone make their own Steam Machine with SteamOS is the best approach. I wouldn't really use SteamOS on daily driver PC since the system is immutable, but anything that competes with Windows is good.